The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-19
Mr.. BEECHER YEARS AGO.
BY MRS. M. G. BILLINGS.
tHico, Texas.)

tHico, Texas)
More than thirty years ago, in the
city of New York, while engaged in
conversation with lady at our hotel
we drifted to the subject of religion.
In those days, we were more than will
ing to give a reason for our hope, con-
sequently we took the opportunity to
ventilate our views on certain points of
doctrine, in a way that was generally
esteemed by the churches very hetero-
dox.
This lady, who was member of the
notable Plymouth church, a person of
marked refinement, and withal heartily
benevolent, took occasion to tell me-
and we thought with satisfaction, what
Mr.. Beecher had then recently said in
regard to the condition of the heather
after death, that he had arrived at the
decision that they would have oppor-
tunity hereafter to come to knowledge
Of Christ and obtain salvation. This was
the substance of his remark-though
in the long interval since then, the pre-
else words may not have been preser-
we'd.
Now, how the on-coming years have
justified the truth of the idea that
when the opportunity for the departed
heather to obtain salvation is conceded,
the advance to the final holiness of all
souls must surely come 1t has taken
years, in this case, but when once the
door of hope has been opened, be it ever
SO little, it can never, never be shut,
but will swing wider and wider, until
all the human race at last shall enter
into the higher and purer life
No,o Mr.. Beecher is emphatic in de-
claring against the horrible dogma of
future endless misery. He has followed
out the first dawn of light away from
that dark heathen-made dogma relic of
barbarism tackled on to the Christian
church for SO many centuries, and has
arrived at the legitimate result, viz:
the full sunlight of the glorious truth
respecting the future destiny of the hu-
man race.
A little more stirring of the elements;
little more digging down to the foun-
dations of colleges and creeds, and
their unsoundness will be brought to
light more and more, until, in the sure
processes of time, that which is old and
decayed will be thrown out, and new
and better foundation will be laid in
ske~c cAdasiRg granite of Ged,sunfailingl
wisdom, justice and love
1t was little later than the date of
the above described interview, when our
indignation was aroused at the remark
of Mr.. Beecher about our own beloved
Chaplin, then at the zenith of his grand
life and work. 81 love my Br. Chaplin"
he said, and added, "some men can do
more with jack-knife than others can
with whole set of tools ~ We were
young then, and the tone of patronage
and condescension in making this con-
cession to "Br. Chaplin" how it stirred
up the hot blood against this Brooklyn
preacher, before whose talk in pulpit and
lyceum DR.. Chapin's noble utterances
contrasted so grandly DR.. Chaplin,
in his stirring, glorious eloquence, was
as far above the Brooklyn preacher as
the clear, far-reaching notes of the
bugle were higher, fuller and sweeter
than the tapping Of the drum for popu-
lar favor to attract the street crowds.
Thus it seemed to us in those earlier
days.
We are older now, and ought to be
wiser, and view these matters more Sc
riously and justly in their proper rela-
tions. The two distinguished preach
ers have lived and made their mark up
on their times. For all they have ac-
complished let us be thankful; and for
what may yet be done in the interest of
humanity, by the survivor of the two,
let us also thank God.